Reading Up
by ToKissTheRoses
Summary: Nobody can find Eirika! Seth finally finds her asleep in the library, and she's been doing some serious research... On what? Gahhhh, my summaries suck. This is why I usually write drabbles. :B


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Authorbabble: This is what happens when you stick me in Montana without an internet connection. (OK, so there's dial-up, but does that even count? 20 minutes to load a picture. No joke.) Basically, I sit around going, "Oooh, I'm in Yellowstone-- OMGTHATWOULDMAKEAGREATEIRSETH! Oooh, I'm on a hike in a scenic canyon-- *cough*EIRSETH!*cough* Ooh, now I'm riding a horse named Diablo even though he's a sweetie-- EIRRRSEEETHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAN'T UPLOAD!! GAAAH!"

Tee hee. :D Still, though, verryyy fun. Hope this isn't too long for you guys. Maybe it'll go into the drabble box, or maybe a one-shot? I dunno. WordPad doesn't have pages, so I can't tell. Guessing 2-3 though. :P

Authorbabble Edit: GOOD GOD 1600 words! I'm gonna have to put it in a one-shot box! :O This was meant to be a drabble, but...

Eirika sat in the library, accompanied by only the flickering light of a candle and the books she'd strewn around her. Mostly, they were codes of honor, chivalric codes, or rules of the nobility. The princess was doing some serious research, finding out whether it really was improper to feel as she did for a vassal. So far, Seth's beliefs had been confirmed, but in the Clerical Codes (a book Natasha'd lent her) it said that love was never a sin.

She turned a page in the Knight's Chivalric Codes and yawned. The words were swimming on the page, and she simply kept reading. Finally, after a few minutes, Eirika's head fell down onto the book and she slept.

In the morning, the castle was in an uproar. Nobody had seen the princess since last night, and nobody knew where she was. Seth was nearabout possessed in the search effort, refusing any offers of food or water from the kitchens and searching every nook and cranny. Finally, he opened the library doors, not shouting for her anymore-- even during a search, the scribes enforced rules.

He looked through the aisles and at the small study desks until he spotted someone in one of them. He walked over to them, about to ask if they'd seen Eirika, and then smiled slightly. The princess was asleep, and he couldn't help but look at what she'd been reading.

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"So therefore the relation between a Noble and her Knight must be proper; But for in special circumstances such as decided by the King. However, no love is a sin, though posterity can stop it from blooming. If the Knight in question obtains his King's blessing-"

He closed the book, biting his tongue. She was determined to find out, for sure, but hopefully hadn't reached that part of the book yet. Putting it down, he shook her shoulder lightly, murmuring, "Princess Eirika, wake up."

She yawned and blinked groggily, looking up at Seth and then down at her books a few times. She made the connection in a moment and turned a deep red. "Ah... I... I fell asleep, didn't I..?"

"Yes, I believe you did, Princess. You have the whole castle in a frenzy, looking for you. You've worried everyone, myself included."

A younger knight burst into the room, yelling, "HEY, GENERAL SETH! GENERAL SETH?! WHERE ARE Y--" he was shushed by a glare from Seth, then grinned. "Seth! Did you find her? I hope so, then maybe you'll eat something. The cook made me find you and make you eat breakfast, since you didn't, cause you were running around everywhere and stuff... Oh! Hi, Princess!"

Seth was embarrassed. Being Seth, however, he didn't show it. Eirika read it in his face, though, and giggled a little bit. She looked up and said, "You... You didn't even eat breakfast?"

Seth replied, "Um, no. Mayhap I forgot. I was... worried."

"WORRIED?!" shouted Franz, "You were terrified, going around yelling at me'n Amelia about how we were slacking and maybe she'd been kidnapped and were we doing anything to find her and why weren't we looking for her-- we were, though, Princess, we weren't kissing, I swear- and... uh... um, I'll just leave now, okay, General?"

Seth was shooting him an ice-cold glare, while Eirika grinned up at him. "Really, Seth? B-but, uh, I should put these books away now..."

"Let me help, if I may, Princess."

"NO! I'm... I'm fine! I can do it myself!" she exclaimed, trying to pick up all the books and dropping some in her haste to hide them from the Paladin.

He picked them up quickly and said, "You can do it by yourself?"

"Yes!" she said, and snatched them from him, blushing pink.

"If I may ask, why were you reading the Knight's Code of Chivalry at all, Princess? Something you don't understand? If you need clarification, Franz and I both know it well," he said, knowing very well what she was reading it for.

"I... I... I didn't understand something. But, er, you already... explained it to me... I just..."

"Wanted to check?"

"Yes," she replied, concentrating very hard on the books for some reason. Seth lifted her chin so she'd look at him and said, "Even I missed some of it, apparently. I'd been re-reading it as well, Princess, and page 196, I believe, surprised me. You may want to read it as well, though you may already have in your... studies."

Eirika raised her eyebrows and immediately opened the book. "196? Here it is... _'So therefore the relation between a Noble and her Knight must be proper; But for in special circumstances such as decided by the King. However, no love is a sin, though posterity can stop it from blooming. If the Knight in question obtains his King's blessing...'"_

She stopped suddenly at that part and re-read it again, mouthing the words instead, as if in disbelief. "Y-you'd been... just... re-reading this. Just for light reading, Seth?"

"I wouldn't say that."

Eirika's eyes filled up with uncharacteristic tears and she simply beamed at him. Seth had to smile back at her, and said softly, "I wish I'd have reread it earlier, to be truthful. It could have prevented quite a bit of unhappiness."

She stood up and gave Seth a crushing bear hug, then released him. "Since Ephraim teases me daily about my feelings for you and why I haven't done anything... I figure he approves... And I've wanted to do that for quite a while, honestly."

"Really, now?" asked Seth, eyes twinkling at her. Then the Paladin returned her bear hug, murmuring in her ear, "I myself..."

Then they jumped apart at a voice. Ephraim was leaning on a bookshelf, doing a great impression of an annoying brother. "Hello, you two. I heard you'd been reading up, Eirika! Franz brought me a book. Apparently you dropped it in the hall outside your room? Let's see, and you said earlier, page 196? Oh, look at that! It's what I've been telling you all along; in print. Yes, right there-- I need to give you permission? Whyever would I need to do that... Ah, well. Yes, Seth, I give you my very kingly permission to court my sister."

Seth broke into a smile; the first one Ephraim had ever seen. Eirika'd made him smile before, but never in front of Ephraim. Among the Knights, it was only a legend that the Silver Knight could smile. Now Ephraim knew it was true. He waved at them and said, "Howsabout I go tell everyone the search is off and leave you two alone?"

Eirika blushed and grinned, saying, "Oh, Brother... Thank you."

"Shush. I've been saying the same this whole time, my opinion's not changing," said King Ephraim, then, to Seth, "By the way, Seth, if you hurt her, I'll be most displeased with you. I know you won't, but I had to say it." He added the last on as Seth opened his mouth to dispel Ephraim's fears.

The King turned and left, leaving Seth and Eirika both positively glowing with happiness. Eirika looked at her Paladin and said, "Seth?"

"Yes?"

"Since we're allowed..." She stood on her tiptoes and then after a moment's hesitation threw her arms around his neck, grinning. Seth lifted her up gently, chuckling, to his eye level (almost a foot's height away from hers) and said, "I have so, so much to say to you. Most of it's not easily said, for me. Old habits die hard, I suppose."

Eirika giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. "Probably. And I have even more to say to you, Seth."

The door opened, and Franz and Amelia snuck in, holding hands. Franz pointed and said, "See?! I told you! I win the bet!"

"Ahh! I can't believe they're still HERE! Now I've had to go and lose again!" she cried, laughing.

Seth put Eirika down, looking innocent as a cat who'd just spilled the milk. Eirika laughed at them and simply found Seth's hand, linking her fingers through his. He looked down at her with mild curiosity. Eirika shrugged and smiled, while Franz and Amelia both emitted very loud, "Aww!"s. "Er, you want us to leave?" asked Franz, chuckling at his General.

"That'd be nice," replied Seth.

"Yup, uh, just leaving."

"Thanks," said Eirika, and turned her attention back to the Paladin.

Seth looked at her and then broke into a smile. He was about to say something, and then the door opened again. "AHA! THERE'S THE HAPPY COUPLE!" yelled Forde, flanked by a disgruntled-looking Kyle. "Hi, General Seth, Princess! Whoa, Ephraim was right, you actually do smile! I thought that was just a story-- uh, nothing."

Eirika laughed. "I've found that Seth smiles easily, actually, Forde."

He whispered into her ear, "Only for you, though."


End file.
